Russian Oil, Gas Companies Working On Expanding Cooperation With Iraq - Russian Embassy

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th November, 2022) Russian oil and gas companies are working on expanding their cooperation with Iraq through long-term projects, an economic counselor of the Russian Embassy in Iraq told Sputnik on Saturday.

"Despite a difficult military and political situation in the country, our gas and oil companies are fulfilling their contract obligations toward Iraqi partners and are planning to develop long-term relations," Ilya Lobov said.

Moscow is planning to enter the commercial stage of the Block 10 project, with Russia's Lukoil oil company developing an oil field there and expecting an approval from the local authorities to begin a new stage of the project's implementation, Lobov added.

Russia and Iraq have been closely cooperating in the area of energy, with a number of big Russian oil and gas corporations, including Lukoil, Rosneft, Gazpromneft, working in the country.

On October 20, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani said at a meeting with Russian Ambassador in Baghdad Elbrus Kutrashev that the new Iraqi government was interested in strengthening bilateral ties with Russia and building balanced relations "in the interests of the two friendly peoples."